Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A team, a brotherhood

Article about men's NCAA Division I swimming squad. This hits to the point of a "gang mentality." I talked about the "gang mentality" last week in city hall. It is a standard slogan of mine. I want positive gangs, like swim teams.

Technician - A team, a brotherhood After a swim-down and some words from coach Brooks Teal, the women's team exits the pool as the swimmers remove their pink swim caps and grab towels on the way to the locker room, but the men's team remains in the pool.

After the coaches have left, the men's team moves to the center of the pool, treading water long after the meet has ended as the seniors debrief the team. A loud chant announces the meeting is over, and the swimmers finally pull themselves out of the pool to get dried and dressed.

Such is the brotherhood of the men's swimming and diving team.

Then comes the next quote in the article -- about taking a bullet. Wrong. Rather, the positive gang is a way to prevent bullet. The huddle in the middle of the pool is a way to change one's landscape and surroundings so as to be immune to flying bullets and senseless violence.

By the way, the hope of joining such a team is not part of the plans with the Pittsburgh Promise. Kids can't go to NC State with Pittsburgh Promise funding, sadly.

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Ful article: A team, a brotherhoodThe men's swimming & diving team's unity can only be described as a fraternity of brothers

Ty Johnson

Deputy Sports Editor

Published: Monday, February 9, 2009

The swim meet has been over for more than twelve minutes now.

UNC-Chapel Hill has left Casey Natatorium's competition pool with a sweep over both swim teams - a bitter loss for the teams regardless of the opponent, but especially against the Tar Heels in the Wolfpack's home pool.

After a swim-down and some words from coach Brooks Teal, the women's team exits the pool as the swimmers remove their pink swim caps and grab towels on the way to the locker room, but the men's team remains in the pool.

After the coaches have left, the men's team moves to the center of the pool, treading water long after the meet has ended as the seniors debrief the team. A loud chant announces the meeting is over, and the swimmers finally pull themselves out of the pool to get dried and dressed.

Such is the brotherhood of the men's swimming and diving team.

"I would take a bullet for any of these guys, and I know they would do the same for me," senior Jon Vorpagel said. "Every guy is there for the other, and I don't think you can find that in a Greek Life fraternity."

Every facet of the team's unity is somehow connected to the past, according to former swimmer Jack Roney, right down to the team's cheer - a secret chant titled "Pack by God."

"There are guys that swam here in 1976 that wrote this cheer and now you have kids born in 1990 that still do it," Roney said. "That's what ties us all together. It connects old with new."

But the secret cheer is only a part of what makes the men's swimming & diving program such a tightly knit group as current swimmers continually get emails from alumni about what's going on with former Wolfpack swimmers.

"I still get email updates from old alumni, the guy that does it is a member of the 1992 team, I think," Roney said. "Every once in a while, you get an update from the 1978 team."

Beyond timeless secret cheers and email groups, the kinship of the men's swimming team is really based around swimmers that care about the program long after their time in the pool is over - like Roney.

Roney also makes it to practices when he can, though he shares more than his technique with the younger swimmers - he puts it on display.

"I still stop by every now and then to talk smack and race them," Roney said. "I [hadn't] swam in 11 months, this kid [had] been practicing for eight and I still beat him, so I've still got it in me."

But Roney's presence at meets is still what his former teammates appreciate most, especially for Vorpagel, one of the team's veterans in his final season.

"Me being a senior now, [a lot of my teammates have] moved on because they finished their eligibility, but it's awesome to hear them in the stands cheering for you," Vorpagel said, though his friendship with Roney, a fellow history major, extends beyond the water. "Being a history major, it's really cool to have people in my class like Roney, and (varsity tennis player) Christian Welte. Those guys make school a lot more fun and easier for me to not get stressed out about it."

And the two relax just like any other college friends - with video games.

"We live two streets away, so we're always hanging out, and playing NBA Live on PS3," Roney said. "I've never lost to him.I play with Phoenix and he switches up - he likes to play with the Bobcats and sometimes the Celtics - he's not good though."

Roney did add that the two make an unbeatable team on the hardwood as well, though - and issued a global challenge.

"When Jon and I are on the same team in NBA Live, no one can beat us," Roney added. " We'll take on the world."

Video games aside, the two mutually help one another through the strains of being both a college student and a Division One athlete.

"Old alumni helped me so I'm going to try to help Jon out to be successful too," Roney said. "Jon and I want to revolutionize Wolfpack swimming."

But the daily routines of swimming drills and study halls is where the fabric of the team is woven, according to Vorpagel.

"We wake up early, we come and bust our asses in the pool together," Vorpagel said. "We live together, we swim together, and sometimes we win together - it creates a bond that lasts forever."